The seeds of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum — graecum L) are rich source of steroidal sapogenin. The steroidal fraction was extracted from fenugreek seeds by the modified method of Sarin et al. (1974) and was used for determination of its contraceptive efficacy in female rats. Normal cyclic female rats (Rattus norvegicus) were kept for mating with proven fertile male in the ratio of 2:1, next day in the morning the vaginal smear was checked for the presence of spermatozoa. The female rats with positive mating were divided in to four groups. Group I-control received only vehicle and Group II and III treated with plant extract (50mg and 100mg) for 12 days respectively and Group IV, treated with phytodrug (100mg) and ascorbic acid (100 mg) for 12 days. The data revealed that lower dose (50 mg) of phytodrug resulted in reduction of total embryo implantation and increased in number of reabsorbed embryo as compared to control; thereby inhibit fertility upto 50%. However, higher dose (100 mg) of seed extract showed no implantation site and reabsorbed embryo in all the rats studied, revealing 100% negative fertility in female rats studied.
Ascorbic acid is known for its antioxidant properties and it was given orally to female rats along with phytodrug. The observations revealed a negative impact of it i.e. the fertility rate remained 100% negative. The data suggests that steroidal fraction of fenugreek exhibited remarkable anti-implantation and early abortifacient activities in female rats leading to negative fertility. So the phytodrug can act as a potent post-coital emergency contraceptive agent in females.